The Digital Acumen of Principals

The principal of a digital school – as Lee and Gaffney articulated in 2008 (Lee and Gaffney) -must have a high level of digital acumen.

As the chief architect of a digitally based organization, where every facet of the operation, in and outside the school will be increasingly reliant upon and impacted by many digital technologies it is imperative the lead designer understands the technologies available, those being employed within the school’s socially networked community and how they are impacting the realisation of the school’s shaping educational vision.

They have to be able to play a lead role in shaping an apt digital ecosystem for the school.

They don’t have to be digital experts.

But they most assuredly must have a macro understanding of the current and emerging technology – both in and outside the school – and a good appreciation of how it can be employed to enhance the teaching, administration and shaping of the desired increasingly integrated and productive digitally based school ecosystem. The principal needs assist shape the school’s digital vision, to articulate the kind of digital ecosystem desired and to be the final arbiter on the acquisition and deployment of all digital technology.

Vitally the principal needs to be able to collaborate with an empowered, socially networked school community that has normalised the use of the digital, where many have considerable specific digital expertise, with teachers pushing the digital envelope and a technology team striving to continually provide the apt digital ecosystem.

No they don’t have to have a detailed understanding of the myriad of digital technologies at play but they need the digital acumen to integrate – or not integrate – those technologies within the desired totality.

Principals who delegate this understanding to a middle manager are abrogating their lead role as a principal and any hope the school has of going digital.

We have studied and supported a large number of schools on their journey to embedding technology in their daily practice. Tellingly every successful one was lead by a principal with that digital acumen (Lee and Boyle, 2004), (Lee and Gaffney, 2008), (Lee and Winzenried, 2009), (Lee and Finger, 2010), (Lee and Ward, 2013), (Lee and Levins, 2016) (Lee and Broadie, 2016).